Little River Canyon National Preserve

ADDRESS
Superintendent
Little River Canyon National Preserve
2141 Gault Avenue North
Fort Payne, Alabama 35967
www.nps.gov/liri/index.htm

TELEPHONE
(256) 845-9605

E-MAIL
LIRI_superintendent@nps.gov

DIRECTIONS
The park is located on Lookout Mountain in Cherokee and DeKalb Counties, east of Fort Payne, Alabama. From Chattanooga take I-59 south to Alabama Highway 35, Fort Payne Exit #218 and proceed east to the Preserve and Little River Falls. From Birmingham take I-59 north to the Fort Payne Exit #218 at Alabama 35 and proceed east to the Little River. See our expanded Web site for more detailed directions to the Preserve.

TRANSPORTATION
No public transportation is available. The nearest commercial airports are in Chattanooga and Birmingham.

ACREAGE
Authorized October 21, 1992. Acreage 14,000 (Federal 10,338.15, Nonfederal 3,661.85)

VISITATION
Approximately 300,000 primarily between April and October. Visitation is the highest April through June and September and October, and lowest in January.

OPERATING HOURS AND SEASONS
The park is open year-round. The Canyon Mouth Park Unit is a day-use area. At this time, there are no federal facilities within the Preserve. For more information contact the Park Headquarters at 2141 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, Alabama 35967, phone: (256) 845-9605.

CLIMATE AND RECOMMENDED CLOTHING
Warm, humid summer; wet, cool winter. Mild spring and fall.

FEES
None

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Canyon Mouth Park is a day-use area located along the riverside. It is accessible from Cherokee County Road 273. Camping and lodging facilities are available at DeSoto State Park (800-568-8840) and other private campgrounds located all around Little River Canyon. For a list of all available campgrounds surrounding Little River Canyon, please write or call our office: 2141 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, AL 35967, phone: (256) 845-9605. We also have a listing of hotels and bed and breakfasts located in the general area.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE
Photography and sightseeing from overlooks located along the Canyon Rim Parkway. Picnicking, hiking, wading, whitewater paddling (recommended only for experts), canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding (you bring the horse), and rock climbing are popular activities. Hunting, fishing, and trapping are permitted in designated areas. A day-use area, ideal for family picnics, is located at Canyon Mouth Park. At this time we do not allow overnight backpacking in the canyon.

RESERVATIONS/PERMITS
ATVs are required to have a permit. Permits are free and issued to anyone with a valid driver's license by any NPS Ranger or at the Superintendent's office at 2141 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, Alabama 35967.

BASIC VISITOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Sightseeing and hiking down and around Little River Falls on Alabama Highway 35. The falls has a 50-car parking lot. You can take some fantastic waterfall pictures, especially when we have just had rain. Drive down and stop at the overlooks along the Canyon Rim Parkway. The drive starts at the top of the mountain and ends at Canyon Mouth Park. It's approximately 23 miles but the drive takes about one to two hours. Canyon Mouth Park offers barbecue grills, picnic tables, a pavilion, bathrooms, wading, hiking, and fishing (if you have a license). This area is shady with a sandy beach area that is perfect for a family outing. It's absolutely free and a great place to spend a summer day. Eberhart Point has a three-quarter-mile trail that leads down into the canyon. Restrooms are available at the top of Eberhart Point, Little River Falls, and Canyon Mouth Park.

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
DeSoto State Park, DeSoto Falls, Lake Weiss, Russell Cave National Monument, and Sequoyah Caverns. For more information contact the DeKalb County Tourist Association at (256) 845-3957.

No facilities are in place in the backcountry in Little River Canyon. The backcountry is a multi-use zone with trails, whitewater, fishing, and even managed hunting. The backcountry and adjacent DeSoto State Park have scenic trails with numerous cascades and waterfalls and the best developed hiking areas.

DeSoto State Park is adjacent to the preserve. It has a lodge, motel, restaurant, cottages, campsites, and camp store. Activities in DeSoto State Park include a nature center, pool, playground, tennis court, trails, and picnic areas.

For an Information Packet
E-mail: LIRI_superintendent@nps.gov